All Access Strategy Series: 2. Consult Experts

We continue with our multi-part series exploring the six foundational strategies we employ as we seek to achieve our mission of ending global physical and spiritual poverty. In today's post we will take a deep dive into strategy number 2: Consult experts.

Understanding Our Process

At All Access, ensuring that every dollar makes the maximum impact in the fight against global spiritual and physical poverty is paramount. To achieve this, we employ a rigorous six-step approach: analyzing data, consulting experts, evaluate organizations, give together, grant 100% to the field, and report everything.

In the initial step, which we discussed in the previous article in the series, we meticulously analyze data from various reliable sources to identify the most impoverished regions and understand their specific needs. This data-driven approach sets a strong foundation and directs our next step—consulting experts.

Experts often bring decades of experience and firsthand knowledge, providing invaluable insights that go beyond empirical data. Their nuanced understanding helps us interpret complex data and grasp local realities that might otherwise be overlooked.

The Importance of Expert Consultation

Consulting both global and local experts is crucial to our approach. These experts range from academic researchers to local field experts who provide essential perspectives often overlooked by global analyses.

Global Experts

Global experts are invaluable for the broad insights they offer. Typically, these individuals come from academic and large international organizations. They extensively research and evaluate impacts, making their knowledge and findings crucial for understanding the global landscape of spiritual and physical poverty and the effectiveness of different interventions.

For instance, experts in the field of giving research, universal cash transfers, and water access play a significant role in refining our strategies. Representatives from organizations like USAID and scholars like Prof. James Tooley and Dr. David Croteau provide rigorous academic and practical insights. Their research enriches our understanding and helps us make informed decisions about which interventions are most likely to succeed.

One notable example is our collaboration with Dr. James Tooley, whose research on low-fee private schools has revealed surprising and impactful findings. Contrary to the assumption that such communities lack schools, Dr. Tooley's work has shown the prevalence of small, community-driven educational initiatives. These schools, although different from what we might envision in the developed world, play a crucial role in providing accessible education and often offer better attendance and accountability than government-run institutions.

Local Experts

Equally important are insights from local experts who live and work in the communities we aim to help. They possess a rich understanding of their local contexts and cultural nuances that global data might not capture. Their perspectives are invaluable in identifying practical and sustainable interventions tailored to their specific needs.

Often, local experts are better at identifying solutions to their problems, given their daily battles with life’s harsh realities. For instance, during a project in Haiti, I discovered that local students had a much deeper understanding of community economics than previously assumed. Their experience and knowledge highlighted the importance of listening to local voices and integrating their perspectives into our strategies.

This approach involves asking pertinent questions like, “What do you want for your community?” and “What works and what doesn’t?” For instance, during a recent call with a local expert from Burkina Faso, valuable insights were shared about the specific needs and effective solutions for their community. Such information is essential for crafting interventions that are respectful, effective, and sustainable.

Learning from Expert Insights

Several key points have emerged from our engagements with experts, which have profoundly influenced our approach:

1. Practicality Over Ideals: Practical solutions tailored to specific contexts are more effective than one-size-fits-all interventions. For instance, a particular water purification method may work well in one community but not in another due to unique environmental and social conditions. It is crucial to adapt approaches to the specific circumstances of each locality to ensure sustainability and effectiveness.
2. Acknowledging Complexity: Addressing global poverty is inherently complex, and programs must continuously adapt to the needs and conditions of their target areas. Simplistic, black-and-white assessments often fail to capture the nuanced realities on the ground. For instance, blanket assertions about the effectiveness of different water access solutions or educational models can be misleading. Each intervention must be understood and evaluated within its specific context, considering factors like local resources, infrastructure, and cultural dynamics.
3. Nuanced Truths: We often find that generalizations, such as "handpump wells don't work" or "solar power wells are always effective," fail to address the complexity of real-world situations. Effective solutions are rarely absolute—they must be context-specific and adaptable. For example, the success of low-fee private schools in one region might not translate to another region with different educational needs and structures. Recognizing these nuances is essential for developing targeted and impactful interventions.
4. Execution and Sustainability: Beyond identifying effective interventions, proper execution and a focus on long-term sustainability are critical. Programs must be evaluated not only for their initial impact but also for their potential to be locally owned and sustained over time. Engaging communities and ensuring that interventions genuinely serve their needs and strengths promotes lasting change.

Integration and Moving Forward

Our ultimate goal is to integrate analyzed data and expert insights to frame comprehensive and effective strategies. This involves creating a collaborative and informed effort where global data, expert perspectives, and local realities converge for maximum impact.

One of the key approaches we use is treating organizations as vendors and evaluating their effectiveness objectively based on expert insights. This impartial assessment ensures that resources are directed towards the most effective interventions. For instance, Dr. Tooley's research on low-fee private schools informed our understanding of how such schools can thrive with the right support and resources, leading us to identify and collaborate with organizations that can provide that support.

Incorporating the knowledge of both global and local experts allows us to make informed decisions about which organizations to partner with and what strategies to implement. This ensures that every contribution from our members is used strategically and efficiently to address the most pressing needs.

Our commitment to creating a world where all people have access to the Gospel and means of physical well-being drives us to continually seek diverse expert opinions and integrate them into our strategies. By consulting both global and local experts, we ensure that our programs are not only effective but also contextually relevant and sustainable.

As we move forward, we remain focused on this integration. Our comprehensive approach involves continuous learning and adaptation, leveraging the insights of experts to refine our strategies and maximize our impact. This dedication to understanding and collaborating at multiple levels is what sets All Access apart in the mission to end global spiritual and physical poverty effectively and sustainably.

In the next part of our series, we will delve deeper into the process of evaluating organizations, continuing our commitment to provide a thorough and strategic approach to our mission. By staying informed and adaptable, we aim to create lasting change and empower communities worldwide.